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Translated By DeepL

On its 10th anniversary, Seven by Seven put its heart and soul into its runway and flagship store.
Decade of Dedicated

On its 10th anniversary, Seven by Seven put its heart and soul into its runway and flagship store.

The first show and the opening of the flagship store. There is suddenly a lot of noise around SEVEN BY SEVEN. What is the current status of this brand, which is steadily strengthening its presence in this milestone year of 10 years since it started as a concept store? We ask designer Junya Kawakami.

Maybe people are looking for too much efficiency.

-There were a lot of showpieces this time. Like western short boots.

Upstream:The first thing I decided on might be the shoes. I could see that, so it was easy.

-Are those custom made boots?

Upstream:That's right. Actually, I had already done this when I started Seven by Seven and shot the second look, and it led me to the present. This time, I cut vintage Western boots and hand-knitted leather on them, thanks to Mr. Matsu (Yasuomi Matsuzaki) of Rooster King (and Company). I don't think it would be possible to do it anywhere else.

-It's a lot of work to knit thick leather boots by hand, isn't it? I can only imagine how hard it is.

Upstream:If it were another producer, I would probably end up saying, "I can't do it," even if I consulted with them.

-Have there been many cases, not just with these boots, where you had an idea but were unable to realize it because of that kind of background?

Upstream:There were a lot of them. But that just means that the people who get in between manufacturing are stopping at that level. It may sound like a big deal, but I think there is a part of us that has gone crazy because of the increase in mass-production-oriented manufacturing.

-It would be easier and safer to keep it within the scope of past cases, but it seems unlikely that new ones will be produced.

Upstream:Maybe we all want too much efficiency. Even if you can't do it at first, it will help you as you try, won't it? I think most of the people who are involved in our company enjoy themselves, or rather, they are thinking, "Let's do it," or "How can we do it? I feel that the people who are involved in our work generally enjoy it, or at least think about how they can do it.

-It's a great teamwork. In terms of showpieces, that paper blouson-like outerwear is the same. You sometimes see this style in vintage clothing.

Upstream: That's right. I suddenly thought, "Oh, this looks like a ska-jan," but if it were a ska-jan, it would be embroidered. But this is a US Mail paper bag, so I decided to use origami. The day before, I was sewing until the last minute.

-The tote bag with the logo on it is a patchwork bag, which I could only tell at the show, but once I held it in my hands and learned about the material, it was amazing (laughs).

Upstream: I thought it would be interesting if only those who noticed would notice. It may just be a self-satisfaction. I always come up with an idea at the last minute. I think it would be fun to do something like this. I think it would be fun. People around me might think, "Wow, here we go again..." (laughs). (laughs) Even if I think it might be a good idea at first, such an idea usually turns out to be a bad one.

The show also featured a number of handcrafted products, such as mesh fabric woven with leather and carved bags that reproduced parts from the '40s archives. The runway was a close-up look at elaborate styles such as the aforementioned blouson made from US Mail paper bags and tops made from vintage printed T-shirts that had been turned inside out and embroidered.

-(laughs). Some people might have recognized the materials of the bags by their textures because they could see the runway from that distance. Speaking of texture, I was also surprised by the mesh of the football T and coat.

Upstream:A lot of people don't realize that that's a leather weave. "Perforated leather? They say, "Is that perforated leather? It's all hand-knitted. I don't think it's possible.

-It is really a brand that is made possible by the cooperation of people. I also read a bit too much into the "patchwork" aspect of the brand. It's more like spinning human bonds.

Upstream:That's a nice touch, let's pretend I said that (laughs).

INFORMATION

Seven by Seven

Address: 1F, 22-8 Motoyoyoyogi-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Hours of operation: 12:00-19:00
Closed: Wednesday
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